Beyond the Pale
by Alair
Summary: Intent on retrieving Tetsusaiga after Inuyasha's death, Sesshoumaru stalks Kagome. On the homefront, Miroku and Sango begin to search for the hurting miko, hoping to get to her before Sesshoumaru does. (Sess/Kag, Miroku/Sango)
1. Chapter 1

_**Beyond the Pale**_   
Kikyou (kikyou@earthlink.net)  
  


  
  
**A/N:** Sure hope you like Sess/Kag. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!  
  


* * *

  
  
**Chapter 1**   
  
  
Kirara lifted her head, her scarlet eyes clouded with accusation as she stared at the young woman.  
  
"Please! Kirara!" the young woman whispered frantically, shooting a wary glance at her sleeping comrades. "You know as well as I do that they can't take much more of this. I can't… I can't stay."  
  
The lower youkai looked down at the human who was currently curled up right next to her, pained creases haunting the corner of her eyes even as she slept.  
  
Perhaps had it not been Sango who had almost been killed earlier that day, the cat youkai would have awakened her companions. Maybe she would have even tried to stop the young miko herself.  
  
But the scent of Sango's spilled blood, coppery and fresh, still hung in the night air, the smell so incredibly poignant, so inescapable, that Kirara could almost taste it in her dried mouth.  
  
While she loved them all, even the woman who hovered at the edge of camp with the battered sword strapped to her hip, Sango was _hers_: her mother, her father, her brother and sister. The young exterminator, in her soft, silent way, had become the youkai's entire world.  
  
And knowing that had the creature they had battled just hours before could have easily killed the girl instead of nicking her chest was enough to make Kirara restless. So, instead, the cat had remained awake, listening to the soothing cadence of Sango's heart, each pulse as beautiful as a song to her ears.  
  
"Kirara-chan," the woman sighed, her slender calves shaking even as she kneeled by the flickering heat of the fire. "They won't stop coming, you know. It calls out to them. It draws them closer. And they won't stop until they get it, not even if they have to kill every last one of us to do it."  
  
A muted growl escaped Kirara's furred throat, knowing the girl spoke the truth and yet, it didn't seem right to let the miko run off to face the danger alone.  
  
"What happened to Sango-chan today… what happened…" the girl paused, taking a choked breath as her eyes fell to the leaping flames of the campfire. Lifting her head to the heavens, she struggled to regain her control. "What happened to Inuyasha last week won't stop, Kirara-chan. Not until I'm gone."  
  
"Inuyasha is dead," Kagome bit out firmly, her head shaking from side to side as she gazed upon her beloved friends. "And I'm not gonna stand here and let them get killed, too, because I was stupid enough to shatter the damn jewel in the first place."  
  
"Kirara, please. For Miroku and Shippo. For Sango. Don't wake them. Don't lead them to me," the girl requested, fumbling with the ancient sword awkwardly. "Hey, I'm the reincarnation of an extremely powerful miko, right? I can do this. I can find the last few shards by myself."  
  
The youkai just stared at Kagome, wishing not for the first time that her body allowed speech.  
  
_It wasn't your fault, Kagome_, Kirara wanted to say. _I miss Inuyasha, too, but running off to the gods know where in the middle of the night won't do any good. Getting yourself killed won't bring him back._   
  
"Three more shards, I think. At most, four and then the jewel will be completed. Just four more. I can do that. And once it's completed…"  
  
Had her bone structure allowed it, Kirara would have frowned at the way Kagome refused to look at her.  
  
_She's planning something… something she doesn't want us to know about._  
  
"Once it's completed, the jewel can finally be used and destroyed forever."  
  
How could a phrase be so innocuous yet so ominous at the same time? Kirara shook her head as she stood up, careful not to wake the precious human at her side.   
  
With the grace of her feline cousins, Kirara made her way over to the woman, careful not to step on the sleeping figures strewn across the forest floor. She nudged the small, white hand that dangled at Kagome's side, hoping the girl would understand.  
  
_All of us, _Kirara thought as she enjoyed the way the miko's hand scratched behind her furry ear, _all of us would die for you, Kagome. All of us love you. You don't need to struggle alone._  
  
"I don't think I could live knowing I caused you guys to be hurt. Maybe even killed," Kagome whispered as she knelt upon the moist ground, her hands encircling the youkai's lean body. "You may not agree with me, Kirara-chan. I know. But please, let me do this. It's my choice. I mean, I wouldn't leave if I didn't know I could finish reassembling the shikon no tama."  
  
Instinctively, Kagome touched the small bulge beneath her shirt, almost as if she were checking to make certain the sphere was still there. Her hand trembled even as the girl exhaled in relief.  
  
"I've been thinking about this since… for a week now, Kirara. I _know_ I'm doing the right thing. It's the only chance I have. It's the only chance _he_ has."  
  
Kirara blinked as she took a step back, the golden fur on her back spiking as she finally deduced the reasons that lay beneath the woman's softly spoken urgency.  
  
_No. You can't. It won't be the same, Kagome-chan. It _can't _be the same, _Kirara thought, shaking her head as she watched the way the flames shadowed the girl's face.  
  
"I'm leaving, Kirara," the miko stated, her lithe form straightening proudly as she stood up. "For everything we've gone through together, I'm asking you now: don't wake them. Please. Let me just do this, Kirara. Just give me two months. That's all I ask."  
  
The youkai sighed, the sound weary and hopeless.   
  
Taking that as a sign of agreement, Kagome smiled brightly as she fingered the jewel that rested so innocently around her neck.  
  
"Yes, two months. That's all I need. That gives me two to three weeks per shard. That's plenty of time," the miko murmured, almost as if she didn't even remember that the cat youkai was still there.  
  
_Even if you succeed, Kagome-chan, it won't be as you imagine. Once life changes like this, you can never change it back. You can wish upon the shikon no tama… you could even wish on a thousand of them, but it will not change what has happened, _Kirara reflected as the sheer hope in the girl's pretty features turned so brilliant that it was painful to even look at her.   
  
"Just two months," Kagome whispered as she slowly walked out into the foreign night. "Just two months and I can use the shikon no tama to bring Inuyasha back."  
  
  
  


~0~0~0~

  
  
  
  
  
  
"I can't come?" the child asked, her cherubic face tightened by disappointment as she gazed up at the tall youkai.  
  
He looked down at her, the look in her trusting brown eyes hitting a chord deep within. Perhaps her eyes were a little too dark for the comparison, but at times, they looked _so_ much alike.  
  
But then, since he found out just an hour before, the lord Sesshoumaru had been seeing his deceased brother's face everywhere he looked. Especially, though, in the eyes of the child who stood before him.  
  
It wasn't a mere arrow that had done the deed to the hanyou this time, something that could be easily plucked from the chest and tossed into the fire, only to be forgotten. It wasn't a spell or a potion.  
  
No. According to the flea, the hanyou… his brother… had been torn to pieces in the defense of his friends.   
  
He flexed his single hand, his golden eyes resting on the white skin in almost wonder. How many times had he lashed this very same hand out at his younger sibling in anger? How many times had these sharpened claws drew his brother's blood?  
  
So many.   
  
"Rin, remain here and finish your studies."  
  
"But Sesshoumaru-sama…"  
  
He knew he should discipline the girl for her lack of easy obedience, but for some reason, he was unable to. It was almost as if a demonic leech had settled over his entire being and sucked out every ounce of his energy, leaving him with nothing but this strange need to visit the place where his brother had fallen.  
  
"For me, Rin. Remain here," he said, only to feel slightly amused by the girl's eager nod.   
  
"Jaken."  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"Remain with Rin," he commanded as he walked towards the door, his head held high. "See to it that she learns how to write my name before my return."  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" the toad squeaked.  
  
Ignoring Jaken's crestfallen face at the realization he would be left behind as well, Sesshoumaru walked out from within the castle and out into the world beyond.  
  
The last member of his family was now dead, Sesshoumaru thought, a frown upon his lips as he looked up into the moonlit sky. Inuyasha. Didn't he hate the hanyou? Hadn't he hoped to cause his brother's death for years now? Now that it actually happened, he could claim Tetsusaiga for his own without having to worry about the hanyou's fragile mental state. Now, the way to power was free and clear.  
  
But all Sesshoumaru could think of was the young child with the piercing golden eyes that had once dogged his every step- the same child who had declared at the precocious age of six that he wanted to grow up to be exactly like his big brother.  
  
Inuyasha was gone. Dead to the coward in the baboon suit.  
  
The ironic thing was, though, that only two hours before, Sesshoumaru had thought that there was no way in the world that he could be more alone than he already was.  
  
Who would have ever known that he had been wrong?  
  
  
  


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**A/N:** Sorry if Sesshoumaru is a little out of character. He'll get better. Really.   
  



	2. Chapter 2

  
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
  
  
She fell against the tree, groaning as every conceivable muscle in her shoulders, neck, and back complained vehemently about their treatment.   
  
"Who'd ever thunk?" Kagome muttered as she stabbed the sword into the soft, springy ground. Closing her eyes, she massaged her shoulder, the touch firm.   
  
The thought was actually quite scary, the young miko decided as she felt the kiss of the afternoon sun on her face. After no more than twenty minutes of parroting the training practices she had seen done on TV for years (and she STILL had yet to even try to hit anything), her rebellious arm felt as though it would fall off.   
  
Just twenty minutes and she had a whole new appreciation for the tireless way Inuyasha used to carry Tetsusaiga around. The guy, she remembered with a slight smile, really did make the entire thing look so effortless. It was almost as if he were born to wield the ancient sword.   
  
Kagome shook her head resolutely, her hand grasping the leather-wrapped handle as she yanked Tetsusaiga from the earth.   
  
After she brought him back, she couldn't wait to apologize. It was really a strange thing, but all she could think about was how she took him for granted. In a way, it was funny: for years she had accused the hanyou of not appreciating her, of not understanding how much she was giving up to be in the Sengoku Jidai period. But to find out that she was also guilty of not valuing him was pretty mind-boggling, which only added to the immense guilt she already harboured over him.   
  
With a grunt, she thrust the sword out before her, white teeth grinding as a sharp pain coursed through her arm.   
  
Who would have known that such an ancient, battered sword could be so heavy? Sighing, she sliced the air, her hand already screaming at the deliberate, forceful movement. Still, Kagome practiced on, ignoring the way the sweat beaded on her reddening face and the pooling perspiration at her arms and neck.   
  
Only minutes later, she slumped to the ground, a knee scratched by a sharp rock hiding beneath the flowering grass.   
  
"How am I possibly going to do this?" Kagome wondered, her lips twisted in a frown as she stared at the rusted metal object that seemed to have suddenly transformed into her greatest enemy. She carried a nearly completed shikon no tama. That, in itself, was just asking for trouble. There was no doubt that soon the youkai would start coming, start trying to kill her for the precious prize she carried beneath her white blouse. She needed a weapon and she needed it badly.   
  
Perhaps she should just concentrate on her bow and arrows…?   
  
"Idiot," the young miko grumbled as she allowed herself to lie down, her hand resting against the Tetsusaiga's scabbard. "Idiot. What good would a bow and arrow do if some dumb youkai gets close to you?"   
  
At least Tetsusaiga would offer her some small amount of protection, the girl thought as she looked up into the sky. And at this point, she needed all the protection she could get.   
  
  
  


~0~0~0~

  
  
  
  
"Houshi-sama?"   
  
The slender man shook his head slowly, his dark eyebrows knitted in confusion as he examined the well carefully.   
  
"Normally when Kagome-sama uses the well, the magical imprint rages for even a day after…"   
  
"And you are saying that the imprint …" the youkai exterminator interrupted, her pretty face quite drawn and pallid from the pain of her injuries.   
  
"…I'm saying that no one has used this well recently."   
  
"No, check again," Sango insisted as she limped forward to peek down the magical tunnel herself. "There's no other place she could have gone. There's no other place that's safe right now."   
  
"Sango-sama, she didn't go through here."   
  
"She HAD to. She has to be on the other side of this… Kagome-chan! Can you hear me?" the woman shouted into the well, ignoring the burn in her eyes from the tears demanding to be shed. "Kagome-chan! You didn't say goodbye. Kagome-chan! Help me, houshi-sama. We have to get to her."   
  
"Sango…" Normally cheerful brown eyes looked quite solemn as he stood by, helpless to do a thing as the woman he loved screamed into the empty well.   
  
"No. I refuse to lose another person, houshi-sama. I will not lose Kagome, too!"   
  
She stood there, pale and beaten, her normally neat hair as wild as the haunted eyes that were narrowed in pain. Shaking her head frantically, she slammed her fist against the rotting wood, barely grunting as rough splinters jabbed into her skin.   
  
"Sango-sama!" Miroku breathed, grabbing for her hand before her busted knuckles were crushed. Instinctively, she whirled around, her free hand slapping the man in his face. Almost as if the hunter were a feral animal herself, she pushed herself away, only to tumble to the ground.   
  
"No more. Just no more."   
  
"Sango-sama," the houshi said, his voice uncharacteristically firm and serious. "Listen to me. Kagome-sama is strong. She's a survivor. Naraku can't harm her any more- Inuyasha made certain of that. She will be fine, Sango. I wouldn't lie to you…No. I wouldn't. Not about something like this. Kagome will be fine."   
  
The woman closed her eyes, her body still shivering from the adrenalin rush. Quietly, the cat youkai climbed into her lap, Kirara's pointed muzzle prodding the girl's wrist. Exhaling wearily, Sango brushed her fingers along the feline's side, her hand nearly lost in the vast, golden fur.   
  
"Stay back, houshi-sama," Sango muttered as she rested her chin upon Kirara's head. "I don't wish to deal with your perversions right now."   
  
Had she looked up at that moment, perhaps she would have seen the hurt flash across the houshi's handsome face. But almost immediately, the look was gone and instead, Miroku merely nodded.   
  
"Let's go to the village, Sango-sama. Kaede needs to be told. She still has yet to learn about… let's just go."   
  
Sango nodded, immediately standing with a determined look on her face as she glanced towards the village. Had it not been for her red eyes and the tracks of tears staining her cheeks, it would have been impossible to tell that her notoriously dignified façade had ever broken, even if it had been for only a moment.   
  
"Kirara," Miroku spoke up suddenly, his eyes falling upon the cat youkai as Sango continued striding towards the village. "Could you wait by the well just in case Kagome-sama returns?"   
  
With a graceful arch of her body, the youkai settled down before the wooden construct even as she inclined her head towards the houshi.   
  
"Thank you, my friend," Miroku responding, sparing a weak smile for his companion for the last few years. "Thank you."   
  
  
  
**A/N:** Things should start getting interesting with the next chapter. I hope. ^^;;; 


	3. Chapter 3

  
  
**A/N:** I dunced out with this chapter. I'll rewrite it later.   
  
  
  
  
**Chapter 3**   
  
  
  
Sesshoumaru frowned, his heart beating slightly faster as he could smell the stench of death that still haunted the oppressive air. A fleeting look of disgust tarnished his face as he gazed around the small meadow, the beauty of the flower-laden area at such odds to the events he knew took place here.   
  
It was here that his brother had been killed. Somehow, it wasn't exactly the environment he had expected for such an act. No, he had expected it to be high in the barren mountains, arid and dry, with each soaring peak a weathered sculpture that would jut out into the dreary sky.   
  
"So, brother, not even enough left to bury. I should have known that when you finally perished, you would be unable to even accomplish that right," Sesshoumaru murmured, his melodious voice hardly audible among the din of the singing birds. Kicking at the long, thin mark that scarred the earth, he shook his head. Even now, he could still smell the bitterness of the miasma in the air; still feel the lightning charge of the battle.   
  
It had to have been one hell of a fight.   
  
With a shake of his head, the youkai turned away. Tetsusaiga was not here and every moment he wasted at this impromptu graveyard was one moment longer it would take to recover the fang.   
  
Logic stated that the ragtag band of humans that traipsed after his brother would possess the sword now, so logic dictated that it would be wisest to search for them first.   
  
Start with the miko, Kagome, Sesshoumaru decided as he strode from the field of death. The girl would undoubtedly still be carrying the sword out of some foolish loyalty to his brother; blissfully unaware of the danger she was placing herself in.   
  
  
  


~0~0~0~

  
  
  
  
Had she thought it was capable of it, she would have insisted that it was smiling at her, its horrible orange face taunting her as she failed to hit.   
  
"Oh, shut up," Kagome grumbled as she readjusted her grip on Tetsusaiga. Her left arm flailed wildly as she sliced the sword at her target's neck, only to nearly fall as her balance failed.   
  
Still, it stared at her, its small black eyes seeming to enjoy her every failure.   
  
"Come on, how hard is it to hit a stationary object?" Kagome muttered, glaring at the scarecrow. "Concentrate, dammit. You can hit it. You can."   
  
Closing her eyes, the miko focused on getting the blood pumping through her numb arm. Slowly, Kagome opened her eyes and stared at the large, orange squash she had defiled with a couple lines drawn with a marker.   
  
With a defiant yell, Kagome leapt forward, the sword carving down dangerously as the blade bit into the vegetable. Gleefully, she shouted as the pungent juices erupted from the decimated squash, only to jump up excitedly as it tumbled to the ground.   
  
"Yay me," she whispered breathlessly as she wiped the blade off with the hem of her shirt. With a triumphant look, Kagome slammed the sword into its scabbard and giggled, the euphoria still pumping through her veins.   
  
"That's more than I could do this morning," the miko beamed as she rubbed her shoulder automatically. "Much more. I'm learning. I really am!"   
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

  
  
**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing, guys. It makes it so much easier to write! Hmm. Don't know why I called last chapter "4"… think it was due to being in the middle of class when I was posting it. Yes, folks. Your tax dollars at work! ::cough:: And now for the real Chapter 4.   
  
  
  
**Chapter 4**   
  
  
  
She watched the houshi, her brown eyes narrowed suspiciously as the man tried to sidle up next to her. _When would Miroku finally realize,_ Sango grumbled silently as she folded her arms across her chest (making certain she jabbed him in the ribs with the movement), _when would he figure out that he was just as subtle as lightning on a calm day?_   
  
"Houshi-sama," Sango began, her feelings oddly hurt as his attention was stolen by the sudden appearance of a comely village woman walking by. It was so predictable: so why did it still hurt? "Houshi! When do we leave?"   
  
She didn't mean to sound so sharp but somehow, the words always came out that way around him.   
  
He shook his head suddenly, obviously startled at her manner. But that crooked smile she loved slowly peeked out, lighting up his face as he turned his full attention onto her.   
  
Coughing into her hand, Sango stole the opportunity to look down- to look away before he could see the blush starting to gather on her face. Some days, he _really_ made it difficult to keep her emotional distance and by all signs, this would be one of those days.   
  
"No more than an hour from now," he replied, his black brows knitted together as he seemed to be looking her over. "We should leave before Shippo realizes we are back."   
  
Sango nodded, her eyes distant as she imagined what the kitsune's response to their news would be. Their terrible news. "He would insist on coming… So much has changed so quickly, no, Houshi-sama?" She spoke suddenly, the words out of her mouth before she knew even what she said.   
  
"Yes, Sango-sama. Sometimes so quickly that it is hard to keep up."   
  
_How perfectly true,_ the girl thought sadly as she remembered the meeting from earlier. _How perfectly, painfully true._   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
_"So …" Miroku spoke calmly, the only indication that this narrative upset the houshi was in the slow, irregularity of his words. "Inuyasha leapt forward and tore Naraku apart with just his claws."   
  
"He didn't …?" the old miko asked, her single eye closed as she inhaled deeply.   
  
"No, I saw his eyes. Inuyasha knew he was dying and I think that's why he threw everything he had into the attack," Sango interrupted, somehow just sensing that Miroku was having a hard time continuing.   
  
"How is Kagome?" Kaede blurted, her wrinkled lips pursed as she glanced from warrior to warrior.   
  
Sango sighed as she readjusted her legs in order to sit more comfortably upon the mat, only to wince as the movement pulled at the scar on her chest. "Devastated. But somehow, she held up. I think that since Inuyasha… since there was no body, she didn't exactly completely comprehend that he isn't here anymore."   
  
The old woman nodded, the sorrow emanating from her nearly tangible.   
  
"I see."   
  
"I don't think he felt the pain at the last," Miroku said suddenly, answering the question that no one wished to ask. "Had you seen him you would have never recognized him. He looked focused, confident. And he was finally able to tell Kagome-sama he loved her."   
  
Sango sat up straight, gritting her teeth, though she didn't know whether it was in reaction to the pain from her wounds or the pain flaring in her heart.   
  
"Houshi-sama? I didn't …"   
  
Miroku just nodded, the sigh escaping from his body. For just a moment, his expressive eyes looked so alone, so pained that she was helpless to keep her hand from resting on his shoulder. With a soft, weary smile, Miroku just nodded at her, the sincerity of the movement causing her heart to clench.   
  
Shaking his head abruptly, Miroku continued, his hand contracted into a fist as he looked towards the old wall of the hut.   
  
"When he saved her from Naraku. Remember? I don't think he even cared that I overheard. She seemed to be too stunned to even reply…" _   
  
That just hurt, _Sango thought as her head fell back. _To think poor Kagome-chan… she must be hurting so much right now. _Somehow, it didn't feel right to discuss this, even though the three people in the hut loved the girl with all their souls.   
  
"But for the next week," Sango broke in, only to feel grateful as the observant houshi just smiled and allowed her to change the topic, "she seemed to be so sad but was trying so hard to keep things together.   
  
"I had always known Kagome-sama was a strong woman," Miroku agreed, a frown flickering across his face as Sango finally removed her hand from his shoulder, "but my respect for her increased tenfold…"   
  
"She kept it together until I was hurt …"   
  
"…Nearly killed," Miroku corrected, the topic still something of a sore spot with the houshi. "That seemed to be Kagome-sama's breaking point."   
  
"So that's how you received the injuries," Kaede murmured, her fingers reaching for a clay bowl nearby. Without even looking, she began to crumble several various herbs between dexterous fingers.   
  
"Oh, they are nothing…"   
  
"No, Kaede-sama, they pain her greatly," the houshi spoke softly, his voice iron.   
  
"I'm certain I know better than you about how much something hurts," the young woman bit out, her pride scratched by Miroku's words.   
  
"And Kagome?" Kaede asked pointedly, effectively derailing the youkai exterminator from her glares.   
  
"That night, she disappeared. We tried following her trail, but …"   
  
Kaede just nodded, grinding the herbs in the bowl as if there was nothing wrong in the world.   
  
"And Tetsusaiga?" the old woman queried, testing the consistency of the newly made paste with a finger.   
  
"Tetsusaiga?" Sango repeated, rolling up her sleeve to bare her damaged arm. "I completely… Kagome-chan must have it."   
  
She could hear the way the houshi suddenly took a deep breath, the sound torn and uncertain. Quietly, he pushed himself up from the floor as he looked down at both women. Almost immediately, he left the room, only pausing long enough to give Sango a soft, encouraging smile.   
  
"He's going to secure supplies," she realized aloud as Kaede pushed up the top of Sango's black top. Wincing at the feel of the cold paste against her wounds, Sango looked at the old miko.   
  
"By carrying the shikon no tama, Kagome tempts those of evil heart to attack. But by carrying the Tetsusaiga, she draws the attention of those who would have the weapon for their own."   
  
"Oh, gods," Sango breathed as she finally understood what the miko was getting at.   
  
"Sesshoumaru."   
  
  
  
_


	5. Chapter 5

  
  
**A/N:** This is, first and foremost, a Kag/Sess story but you may have noticed the Miroku/Sango "B" plot going on, as well. So the question is: are you guys interested in seeing the M/S relationship furthered?   
  
Special thanks to all of you for reading this! I have been getting such a kick out of the reviews. In short, I'm so relieved that you (or, at least, most of you?) don't think this is just a bunch of BS. :D Thanks a lot and I hope you like this chapter!   
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
**Chapter 5**   
  
  
  
"Sesshou-…" the child whispered, her voice slow and deliberate as she finished the second character. Had her teacher saw fit to show her the character for "maru", she would have continued without a word, but the youkai had insisted that the girl master the first two characters first.   
  
Actually, the word ancient Jaken had used was "perfect" but it hadn't taken an entire minute before the girl's mind had transformed the need for perfection into the desire for it to be just "really really REALLY good". Lifting the bamboo brush from the parchment, Rin examined the work with an expert eye.   
  
Her eyebrows knit together seriously as she contemplated the writing, her small teeth biting down on her lower lip. Well, the first one wasn't so bad, Rin decided as she ignored the way the first character's many intricate lines had been smeared. And the second… well, if the parchment was turned upside down, you could pretend the stroke (or "hat" as she thought of it) was going the right way. In fact, if you thought of it like that, the writing really was …   
  
"_Perfect!_ Jaken-sama! Look! I did it!" Rin giggled triumphantly as she waved her hands wildly at the toad. "Look! Look!"   
  
"Not now, human," Jaken grumbled, his own hand busy from writing. "Practice. Make it perfect again.   
  
"But…" the girl huffed a breath of impatient air, automatically rolling her eyes as she realized the youkai wasn't listening.   
  
"But it's _already_ perfect," Rin protested softly, her mouth twisted askance. Pressing an ink-stained hand to her chin, the girl dangled her legs as she waited for the youkai to look up.   
  
"Stop nagging, girl. I'll show you in a few minutes," Jaken waved a small hand dismissively as he concentrated on his own work.   
  
Oblivious to the black liquid that marred her face, the child waited patiently (for all 2.1 seconds) before she looked down at the discolored parchment. A particularly large droplet of ink caught her eye, causing a slight frown to usurp the expression on her lips.   
  
Well, _that_ didn't look very perfect, she decided as she picked up the brush and dipped it. With the concentration of a nun desperately trying not to lose a game of strip poker, Rin carefully drew a flower above the stain.   
  
There! Voila!   
  
"Jaken-sama! Look! Now it's perfecter!" Rin chirped as her eyes seemed glued to the small flower. Truth to say, she wasn't so disappointed when the youkai completely ignored her. With a Cheshire grin, happily she drew on and painted another flower upon the parchment. It just looked so perfect, the girl decided, that she couldn't help but add a couple more flowers after that. And then, inspiration struck.   
  
Sesshoumaru-sama! She needed to draw a picture of Sesshoumaru-sama since, after all, it was _his_ name! And since she was drawing her hero, it only made sense to draw herself, too. And if Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin were on the paper, then Jaken-sama should be there! It wasn't right if Jaken-sama wasn't there!   
  
Humming, Rin happily continued and would have kept adding more "perfections" to the parchment had Jaken finally not become just a little suspicious with the way the child had turned silent so quickly.   
  
"Gods… child, what _have_ you been…?" the youkai suddenly gasped, his eyes focused on her pretty picture. Wow. It must have been even better than what she thought for Jaken to _gasp_.   
  
"See, Jaken-sama!" Rin beamed, a chubby finger pointing at the parchment in sheer pride. "See, there's Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin and…"   
  
"All that ink… Human, do you …"   
  
"…look! It's Jaken-sama, too," the girl bragged, looking at the toad youkai with sincere brown eyes. "See! I didn't forget the Staff of Heads, either. See. I did good, huh?"   
  
A funny sort of color touched Jaken's green face as he backed away, his eyes looking towards the ground. Without another word to the girl, the youkai left.   
  
_Wow._   
  
Her drawing was so perfect that the toad was speechless! It was precisely at that moment that Rin decided she needed to draw a _LOT_ more.   
  
  
  


~0~0~0~

  
  
  
  
She was positively abysmal.   
  
Sesshoumaru winced as the Tetsusaiga's rusted blade buried itself deep within the straw gut of the dummy, only to cringe as the girl violently yanked it out. No style. No finesse.   
  
No, the youkai decided as he folded his arms across his chest. This Kagome was significantly worse than abysmal. She was the _worst_ swordsman that Sesshoumaru had ever seen in his long and quite active life. And considering the number of battles the youkai had seen, that was truly an accomplishment.   
  
It hadn't taken long to track the woman down, although he had faced a quandary that morning when he discovered that she had separated from her normal companions. Would he follow the miko's trail or that of the houshi and the taijiya? Logic stated that the more powerful of the groups would be carrying the priceless sword…   
  
However…   
  
The Kagome woman had yet to impress him with her sense of logic. In fact, every one of his chance meetings with the female had done nothing but show exactly how irrational she was. No. The most foolish thing the woman could do was to take the sword, so needless to say, that's exactly what he expected would happen.   
  
Humans. What a fool!   
  
So he wasn't certain if he were more pleased by the discovery that he had been right or if he were disgusted by her gross incompetence when he finally came across the lone woman standing in the meadow. Playing soldier.   
  
He cringed as she stabbed the priceless sword into the hard ground, the miko taking the opportunity to wipe sweat and what appeared to be chunks of vegetable from her face and neck. She would break the sword _again_ if this continued.   
  
"It's dead," Sesshoumaru murmured, taking a sadistic joy at the way the woman jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned slowly, such fear in her large eyes that the youkai's considerable ego inflated just a bit more.   
  
Out of respect for his deceased brother, Sesshoumaru decided suddenly, he would allow the mate to live. After all, he would gain nothing by killing the girl. No. A great lord such as he could afford a little generosity.   
  
"Leave the sword and my presence, human," the youkai commanded, his voice regal and strong even to his own ears. "And I might just spare your insignificant little life."   
  
It was… intriguing, Sesshoumaru thought idly a moment later as the woman's face paled to a color that would rival even the moon on a clear night. But the next thing he knew, the miko's hand reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword, only to jerk it out of the ground.   
  
_She cannot be serious,_ Sesshoumaru smirked as he could see the way the girl's knees trembled even from the distance. Arrogantly, he fell into a fighting stance as the blood pumped through his veins, every part of his body tensed and ready for what he knew was doomed to be a disappointing fight. Still, he had never been one to turn down an opportunity for battle. _She cannot think she could possibly win…_   
  
But that thought was broken as the girl gave him one last terrified look.   
  
And ran for her life.   
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
**A/N**: Did you like? Huh? huh? I hope you did! Anyway, I'm trying to get a chapter out every day (which is why they are so small). So, with any luck, see you all tomorrow! 


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